By Bill Parry
M. Fine Lumber Co. may be in Brooklyn, but its best customers are in western Queens.
“The last couple of years Astoria became the No. 1 purchaser of antique wood followed by Long Island City,” Joe Pepe, M. Fine’s sales manager, said. ”It seems like every day we’re filling orders for a new bar or restaurant in those neighborhoods.”
And Pepe, 31, should know. He moved to Astoria seven years ago and became a fixture in the nightlife and music scene. He is a guitarist with two bands, Illimanjaro (rock/hip-hop) and Dirty Wings (indy punk rock). Pepe believes his music career helps him with his day job, saying, “Just hanging out in the Astoria nightlife helps you make all kinds of connections.”
For example, Pepe likes to spend time at The Sparrow Tavern, at 24-01 29th St., where he became friends with owner Evan Roumeliotis, who was in the process of building a new restaurant. Roumeliotis and his carpenter spent 10 months constructing the interior of Mars, at 34-21 34th St., using reclaimed and vintage wood from M. Fine Lumber, through Pepe.
Other bars and restaurants dealing with Pepe include Sweet Afton, at 30-09 34th St.; The Strand Smokehouse, at 25-27 Broadway; Olde Prague Tavern, at 28-43 31st St.; Milkflower, at 34-12 31st Ave.; and Sweet DiWine, at 41-15 31st Ave.
“I think the owners are pretty pleased with my connections,” Pepe said.
M. Fine Lumber has been recycling vintage lumber in New York City for nearly 80 years and is the leading supplier in the tri-state area. All the lumber is reclaimed from buildings throughout the city. The company purchases the support beams and floor joists, removes all the nails and metal and re-cuts it to custom dimensions.
Bars and restaurants favor the old lumber because it is stronger and more beautiful than any new lumber you can buy, according to Pepe. The material is used to create a rustic look for floors, wall paneling, ceilings and table and bar tops.
“The look became really popular with all the cool places in Brooklyn over the last decade and now all these new places in Astoria and Long Island City are going for that look,” Pepe said.
The relationship does not end at the moment of sale either.
“I make sure everything works out. I make sure it’s nice because I like to hang out in these places,” he said.
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718.260.4538.
